Revelation 3-4

English Standard Version

To the Church in Sardis

3 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him ^(A)who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

“‘I know your works. You have the reputation ^(B)of being alive, ^(C)but you are dead. ²Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works ^(D)complete in the sight of my God. ³^(E)Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, ^(F)I will come ^(G)like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. ⁴Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not ^(H)soiled their garments, and they will walk with me ^(I)in white, for they are ^(J)worthy. ⁵^(K)The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never ^(L)blot his name out of ^(M)the book of life. ^(N)I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. ⁶^(O)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Philadelphia

⁷“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of ^(P)the holy one, ^(Q)the true one, ^(R)who has the key of David, ^(S)who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

⁸“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you ^(T)an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. ⁹Behold, I will make those of ^(U)the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, ^(V)I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that ^(W)I have loved you. ¹⁰^(X)Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try ^(Y)those who dwell on the earth. ¹¹^(Z)I am coming soon. ^(AA)Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize ^(AB)your crown. ¹²^(AC)The one who conquers, I will make him ^(AD)a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him ^(AE)the name of my God, and ^(AF)the name of the city of my God, ^(AG)the new Jerusalem, ^(AH)which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own ^(AI)new name. ¹³^(AJ)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Laodicea

¹⁴“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the ^(AK)Amen, ^(AL)the faithful and true witness, ^(AM)the beginning of God's creation.

¹⁵“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. ^(AN)Would that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷^(AO)For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, ^(AP)blind, and naked. ¹⁸I counsel you ^(AQ)to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and ^(AR)white garments so that you may clothe yourself and ^(AS)the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, ^(AT)so that you may see. ¹⁹^(AU)Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. ²⁰Behold, I stand at the door and ^(AV)knock. ^(AW)If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, ^(AX)I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. ²¹^(AY)The one who conquers, ^(AZ)I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as ^(BA)I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²²^(BB)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

The Throne in Heaven

4 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me ^(BC)like a trumpet, said, ^(BD)“Come up here, and ^(BE)I will show you what must take place after this.” ²At once ^(BF)I was in the Spirit, and behold, ^(BG)a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. ³And he who sat there had the appearance of ^(BH)jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was ^(BI)a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. ⁴Around the throne were ^(BJ)twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, ^(BK)clothed in white garments, with ^(BL)golden crowns on their heads. ⁵From the throne came ^(BM)flashes of lightning, and rumblings^[a] and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning ^(BN)seven torches of fire, ^(BO)which are the seven spirits of God, ⁶and before the throne there was ^(BP)as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are ^(BQ)four living creatures, ^(BR)full of eyes in front and behind: ⁷^(BS)the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. ⁸And the four living creatures, ^(BT)each of them with six wings, are ^(BU)full of eyes all around and within, and ^(BV)day and night they never cease to say,

^(BW)“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
^(BX)who was and is and is to come!”

⁹And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, ^(BY)who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰the twenty-four elders ^(BZ)fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast ^(CA)their crowns before the throne, saying,

¹¹^(CB)“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for ^(CC)you created all things,
and ^(CD)by your will they existed and were created.”

Footnotes

Revelation 4:5 Or voices, or sounds

Revelation 3-4

New International Version

To the Church in Sardis

3 “To the angel^[a] of the church in Sardis^(A) write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits^[b]^(B) of God and the seven stars.^(C) I know your deeds;^(D) you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.^(E) ²Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. ³Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent.^(F) But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief,^(G) and you will not know at what time^(H) I will come to you.

⁴Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes.^(I) They will walk with me, dressed in white,^(J) for they are worthy. ⁵The one who is victorious^(K) will, like them, be dressed in white.^(L) I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life,^(M) but will acknowledge that name before my Father^(N) and his angels. ⁶Whoever has ears, let them hear^(O) what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Philadelphia

⁷“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia^(P) write:

These are the words of him who is holy^(Q) and true,^(R) who holds the key of David.^(S) What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. ⁸I know your deeds.^(T) See, I have placed before you an open door^(U) that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.^(V) ⁹I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan,^(W) who claim to be Jews though they are not,^(X) but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet^(Y) and acknowledge that I have loved you.^(Z) ¹⁰Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you^(AA) from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world^(AB) to test^(AC) the inhabitants of the earth.^(AD)

¹¹I am coming soon.^(AE) Hold on to what you have,^(AF) so that no one will take your crown.^(AG) ¹²The one who is victorious^(AH) I will make a pillar^(AI) in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God^(AJ) and the name of the city of my God,^(AK) the new Jerusalem,^(AL) which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. ¹³Whoever has ears, let them hear^(AM) what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Laodicea

¹⁴“To the angel of the church in Laodicea^(AN) write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness,^(AO) the ruler of God’s creation.^(AP) ¹⁵I know your deeds,^(AQ) that you are neither cold nor hot.^(AR) I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’^(AS) But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.^(AT) ¹⁸I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire,^(AU) so you can become rich; and white clothes^(AV) to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness;^(AW) and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

¹⁹Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.^(AX) So be earnest and repent.^(AY) ²⁰Here I am! I stand at the door^(AZ) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,^(BA) I will come in^(BB) and eat with that person, and they with me.

²¹To the one who is victorious,^(BC) I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,^(BD) just as I was victorious^(BE) and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²²Whoever has ears, let them hear^(BF) what the Spirit says to the churches.”

The Throne in Heaven

4 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open^(BG) in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet^(BH) said, “Come up here,^(BI) and I will show you what must take place after this.”^(BJ) ²At once I was in the Spirit,^(BK) and there before me was a throne in heaven^(BL) with someone sitting on it. ³And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper^(BM) and ruby.^(BN) A rainbow^(BO) that shone like an emerald^(BP) encircled the throne. ⁴Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders.^(BQ) They were dressed in white^(BR) and had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.^(BS) In front of the throne, seven lamps^(BT) were blazing. These are the seven spirits^[c]^(BU) of God. ⁶Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass,^(BV) clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,^(BW) and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.^(BX) ⁷The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.^(BY) ⁸Each of the four living creatures^(BZ) had six wings^(CA) and was covered with eyes all around,^(CB) even under its wings. Day and night^(CC) they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’^[d]^(CD)

who was, and is, and is to come.”^(CE)

⁹Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne^(CF) and who lives for ever and ever,^(CG) ¹⁰the twenty-four elders^(CH) fall down before him^(CI) who sits on the throne^(CJ) and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

¹¹“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,^(CK)
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.”^(CL)

Footnotes

Revelation 3:1 Or messenger; also in verses 7 and 14
Revelation 3:1 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
Revelation 4:5 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
Revelation 4:8 Isaiah 6:3

English Standard Version (ESV)

New International Version (NIV)

Revelation 3-4

English Standard Version

To the Church in Sardis

To the Church in Philadelphia

To the Church in Laodicea

The Throne in Heaven

Footnotes

Cross references

Revelation 3-4

New International Version

To the Church in Sardis

To the Church in Philadelphia

To the Church in Laodicea

The Throne in Heaven

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Revelation 3-4 English Standard Version

To the Church in Sardis

To the Church in Philadelphia

To the Church in Laodicea

The Throne in Heaven

Footnotes

Cross references

Revelation 3-4 New International Version

To the Church in Sardis

To the Church in Philadelphia

To the Church in Laodicea

The Throne in Heaven

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Revelation 3-4

English Standard Version

Revelation 3-4

New International Version